ECOWAS mission: a contingent of 618 Senegalese deployed in Gambia

Brigadier General Simon Ndour, Chief of Staff of the Army, chaired, on Wednesday September 9, 2026, at the Captain Abdoulaye Ngom Tactical Training Center in Toubacouta (Fatick), the flag handing over ceremony to the 10th Senegalese detachment engaged in the ECOWAS mission in Gambia. Commanded by Colonel Balla Moussa Mané, the contingent has 618 soldiers including 14 women.

KAOLACK – The Captain Abdoulaye Ngom Tactical Training Center in Toubacouta (Fatick) served as the setting, on Wednesday September 9, for the ceremony of handing over the flag to the Senegalese contingent leaving for Gambia, as part of the ECOWAS mission.

With 618 elements, including 14 female personnel, it is placed under the command of Colonel Balla Moussa Mané. It is essentially composed of a headquarters, a support and service command company, a mechanized company and two motorized companies.

“This 10th contingent on Gambian soil testifies to the confidence that the authorities of ECOWAS and the sister Republic of Gambia have placed in our Armed Forces,” declared Brigadier General Simon Ndour. According to the Chief of Staff of the Army, this mission takes on a particular character, since it takes place in a neighboring country, brother and friend, whose internal security has a direct impact on that of Senegal.

“Your presence in Gambia will not be just a simple military duty. It is above all an act of support for a brother and friendly country which is going through difficult times in its history,” he underlined. In the era of dazzling, sometimes abusive, use of social networks, General Simon Ndour invited the military to make “measured, intelligent and strictly personal use”.

“Today, military missions are becoming more and more complex and demanding. This requires on your part strength of character and a subtle balance between rigor in the face of adversity and flexibility in your interactions with state authorities, the local population and the various actors on the ground,” he indicated.

The Chief of Staff of the Army urged the soldiers to surpass themselves and scrupulously respect the rules of behavior and engagement, in accordance with the laws and regulations of the host country. “Be impeccable on the pitch. I invite you to be worthy ambassadors of the Armies,” he added.

At the head of the contingent, Colonel Balla Moussa Mané expressed his gratitude to the military authorities for the trust placed in him. In Gambia, the mission of the Senegalese military will consist of supporting the ongoing stabilization process. “We are going to follow the same line as previous missions,” assured Colonel Mané.